Spinal Injury Management Flashcards

What should a lifeguard do if a suspected spinal injury victim in the water is not breathing?

Answer: Begin rescue breathing while maintaining spinal stabilization

In-water rescue breathing can be initiated while spinal stabilization is maintained, delaying full extraction only until it is safe to do so without further injury.

What term describes the technique where two lifeguards log-roll a victim in shallow water onto a backboard?

Answer: In-line stabilization

In-line stabilization refers to rolling the victim as a single rigid unit onto the backboard to maintain spinal alignment throughout the process.

Why is it important to avoid flexing or rotating the neck when managing a spinal injury victim?

Answer: Flexion or rotation can sever or compress the spinal cord causing permanent paralysis

Any bending, twisting, or rotation of an unstable cervical spine can impinge or transect the spinal cord, resulting in permanent neurological damage or death.

In which situation would a lifeguard NOT need to apply spinal precautions?

Answer: A swimmer who slipped on the deck and walked to the pool edge complaining of a cut knee

A victim with a minor laceration from a slip who is ambulatory and has no mechanism consistent with spinal injury does not require spinal precautions.

What should a lifeguard communicate to EMS when handing off a spinal injury victim?

Answer: Mechanism of injury, neurological symptoms observed, and interventions performed

A complete handoff includes the mechanism of injury (e.g., diving into shallow water), any numbness or weakness observed, and all stabilization steps taken.

Which area of the spine is most frequently injured in aquatic diving accidents?

Answer: Cervical (neck) region

The cervical spine, particularly C4–C6, is most vulnerable to compression fractures from diving impacts because the neck absorbs the full force of the head-first impact.